Editing ICANN (section)

==History==
Before the establishment of ICANN, the [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority|IANA]] function of administering registries of Internet protocol identifiers (including the distributing top-level domains and IP addresses) was performed by [[Jon Postel]], a computer science researcher who had been involved in the creation of [[ARPANET]], first at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] and then at USC-ISI.<ref name="V. Cerf">{{cite ietf |rfc=2468 |title=I REMEMBER IANA |author=V. Cerf |date=October 17, 1998 |publisher=[[Internet Engineering Task Force|IETF]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Zittrain |first=Jonathan |date=2014-03-24 |title=No, Barack Obama Isn't Handing Control of the Internet Over to China |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/117093/us-withdraws-icann-why-its-no-big-deal |magazine=The New Republic |access-date=March 31, 2014}}</ref> In 1997 Postel testified before Congress that this had come about as a "side task" to this research work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Internet Domain Names, Part I |url=http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/science/hsy268140.000/hsy268140_0.HTM |publisher=[[United States House of Representatives]]}}</ref> The Information Sciences Institute was funded by the [[United States Department of Defense|U.S. Department of Defense]], as was [[SRI International]]'s Network Information Center, which also performed some assigned name functions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=DeNardis |first=Laura |title=Protocol Politics: The Globalization of Internet Governance |date=2009 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-04257-4}}</ref>

As the Internet grew and expanded globally, the [[United States Department of Commerce|U.S. Department of Commerce]] initiated a process to establish a new organization to perform the IANA functions. On January 30, 1998, the [[National Telecommunications and Information Administration]] (NTIA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, issued for comment, "A Proposal to Improve the Technical Management of Internet Names and Addresses." The proposed rule making, or "Green Paper",<ref>{{Cite web |last=NTIA/PTO |title=Internet Domain Names |url=http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/domainname130.htm |website=www.ntia.doc.gov}}</ref> was published in the Federal Register on February 20, 1998, providing opportunity for public comment. NTIA received more than 650 comments as of March 23, 1998, when the comment period closed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Management of Internet Names and Addresses |url=http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/6_5_98dns.txt |access-date=March 14, 2013 |publisher=Dept of Commerce/NTIA}}</ref>

The Green Paper proposed certain actions designed to privatize the management of Internet names and addresses in a manner that allows for the development of competition and facilitates global participation in Internet management. The Green Paper proposed for discussion a variety of issues relating to [[Domain Name System|DNS]] management including private sector creation of a new not-for-profit corporation (the "new corporation") managed by a globally and functionally representative board of directors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weil |first=Nancy |title=New U.S. policy turns 'Net governance over to private sector |url=http://sunsite.uakom.sk/sunworldonline/swol-06-1998/swol-06-ntia.html |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=SunWorld}}</ref> ICANN was formed in response to this policy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lewis |first=Ted G. |title=Book of Extremes: Why the 21st Century Isn't Like the 20th Century |publisher=Springer |year=2014 |isbn=978-3319069265 |pages=65–66}}</ref> ICANN managed the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) under contract to the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) and pursuant to an agreement with the [[Internet Engineering Task Force|IETF]].<ref name="B. Carpenter, F. Baker, M. Roberts">{{cite ietf |rfc=2860 |title=MoU Between IETF and ICANN concerning IANA |author=B. Carpenter, F. Baker, M. Roberts |date=June 2000 |publisher=[[Internet Engineering Task Force|IETF]]}}</ref>

ICANN was incorporated in California on September 30, 1998, with entrepreneur and philanthropist [[Esther Dyson]] as founding chairwoman.<ref name="kepler.ss.ca.gov" /> It is a [[public-benefit nonprofit corporation]] "organized under the California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for charitable and public purposes."<ref name="ArticlesICANN">{{Cite web |date=November 21, 1998 |title=Articles of Incorporation of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers |url=https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/articles-2012-02-25-en |access-date=February 17, 2017 |publisher=Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers |location=Los Angeles}}</ref> ICANN was established in California due to the presence of Postel, who was a founder of ICANN and was set to be its first [[Chief Technology Officer]] prior to his unexpected death. ICANN formerly operated from the same [[Marina del Rey, California|Marina del Rey]] building where Postel formerly worked, which is home to an office of the [[Information Sciences Institute]] at the [[University of Southern California]]. However, ICANN's headquarters is now located in the nearby [[Playa Vista, Los Angeles|Playa Vista]] neighborhood of [[Westside (Los Angeles County)|Los Angeles]].

Per its original [[by-law]]s,<ref>{{Cite web |title=ICANN |url=http://www.icann.org/en/about/governance/bylaws/bylaws-06nov98-en.htm#VI |website=icann.org}}</ref> primary responsibility for policy formation in ICANN was to be delegated to three supporting organizations (Address Supporting Organization, Domain Name Supporting Organization, and Protocol Supporting Organization), each of which was to develop and recommend substantive policies and procedures for the management of the identifiers within their respective scope. They were also required to be financially independent from ICANN.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Executive Summary of DNS/ICANN Issues |url=http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pressbriefings/icann/briefingbook/executivesummaries.html#SOs |access-date=February 22, 2013 |publisher=Berkman Center}}</ref> As expected, the [[regional Internet registry|regional Internet registries]] and the [[Internet Engineering Task Force|IETF]] agreed to serve as the Address Supporting Organization and Protocol Supporting Organization respectively,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Santiago Resolutions |url=https://archive.icann.org/en/meetings/santiago/santiago-resolutions.htm |access-date=May 22, 2012 |website=ICANN Board Resolutions |publisher=ICANN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Executive Summary of DNS/ICANN Now, ICANN policy is being set by ambiguous so-called Communities. In a dramatic departure from IANA, ICANN has allowed secrecy and concealment of the true ownership of domain names. There are whole sets of nominee registrants whose purpose is to conceal the true ownership of domain names. Issues |url=http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pressbriefings/icann/briefingbook/executivesummaries.html |access-date=May 21, 2012 |website=Harvard Cyberlaw Briefing Book |publisher=Berkman Center}}</ref> and ICANN issued a call for interested parties to propose the structure and composition of the Domain Name Supporting Organization.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DNSO Application Timetable |url=http://www.dnso.org/history/www.dnso.org/docs/dnso-app-timetable.htm |access-date=May 21, 2012 |publisher=DNSO}}</ref> In March 1999, the ICANN Board, based in part on the DNSO proposals received, decided instead on an alternate construction for the DNSO which delineated specific constituencies bodies within ICANN itself,<ref>{{Cite web |last=ICANN Board |title=DNSO Singapore Statement |url=http://archive.icann.org/en/meetings/singapore/singapore-statement.htm |access-date=May 21, 2012 |publisher=ICANN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=DNSO Formation Concepts |url=http://archive.icann.org/en/meetings/singapore/dnso-formation.htm |access-date=May 21, 2012 |publisher=ICANN}}</ref> thus adding primary responsibility for DNS policy development to ICANN's existing duties of oversight and coordination.

On July 26, 2006, the United States government renewed the contract with ICANN for performance of the IANA function for an additional one to five years.<ref name="United States cedes control of the Internet - but what now?" /> The context of ICANN's relationship with the U.S. government was clarified on September 29, 2006, when ICANN signed a new [[memorandum of understanding]] with the United States Department of Commerce (DOC).<ref name="BenedekBauer2008" /> This document gave the DOC oversight over some of the ICANN operations.<ref name="BenedekBauer2008" /><ref name="MacKinnon2012" />

In July 2008, the DOC reiterated an earlier statement<ref name="2005-07-us" /> that it has "no plans to transition management of the authoritative [[root zone file]] to ICANN". The letter also stresses the separate roles of the IANA and [[VeriSign]].<ref name="U.S. DoC letter to ICANN" />

On September 30, 2009, ICANN signed an agreement with the DOC (known as the "Affirmation of Commitments") that confirmed ICANN's commitment to a [[multistakeholder governance model]],<ref name="ZDNet2009">[https://www.zdnet.com/article/us-government-finally-lets-icann-go/ "US Government finally lets ICANN go"], Eileen Yu, [[ZDNet]], September 30, 2009.</ref> but did not remove it from DOC oversight and control. The Affirmation of Commitments, which aimed to create international oversight, ran into criticism.<ref name="PC World 2009-10-01">{{Cite magazine |last=Gross |first=Grant |date=October 1, 2009 |title=New ICANN Agreement Runs into Criticism |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/172986/article.html |access-date=September 20, 2014 |magazine=[[PC World]]}}</ref>

On March 10, 2016, ICANN and the DOC signed a historic, culminating agreement to finally remove ICANN and IANA from the control and oversight of the DOC.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farrell |first=Maria |date=March 14, 2016 |title=Quietly, symbolically, US control of the internet was just ended |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/14/icann-internet-control-domain-names-iana |access-date=March 17, 2016 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> On October 1, 2016, ICANN was freed from U.S. government oversight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The U.S. government no longer controls the Internet |url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/u-government-no-longer-controls-160017929.html |website=[[Yahoo! Tech]] |access-date=October 2, 2016 |archive-date=October 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003063641/https://www.yahoo.com/tech/u-government-no-longer-controls-160017929.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Since its creation, ICANN has been the subject of criticism and controversy.<ref name="DLTR 2001-02-14">{{Cite journal |last=Fuller |first=Kathleen E. |date=February 14, 2001 |title=ICANN: The Debate Over Governing the Internet |url=http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=dltr |format=PDF |journal=Duke Law & Technology Review |access-date=September 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Jeremy Malcolm">{{Cite thesis |last=Malcolm |first=Jeremy |title=Multi-Stakeholder Public Policy Governance and its Application to the Internet Governance Forum |publisher=[[Murdoch University]] |oclc=436943765 |type=PhD |chapter=2.1.3. Criticisms |chapter-url=https://www.malcolm.id.au/thesis/sec-icann-criticisms.html |year=2008 |access-date=September 20, 2014}}</ref> In 2000, professor [[Michael Froomkin]] of the [[University of Miami School of Law]] argued that ICANN's relationship with the U.S. Department of Commerce is illegal, in violation of either the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] or [[United States Code|federal statutes]].<ref name="DLJ 2000-10">{{Cite journal |last=Froomkin |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Froomkin |date=October 2000 |title=Wrong Turn in Cyberspace |url=http://personal.law.miami.edu/~froomkin/articles/icann.pdf |journal=[[Duke Law Journal]] |volume=50 |issue=17 |doi=10.2307/1373113 |issn=0012-7086 |jstor=1373113 |lccn=sf82007022 |oclc=1567016 |access-date=September 20, 2014|hdl=10535/3464 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> On June 10, 2024, it was announced that Kurt Erik Lindqvist, who has been CEO of the [[London Internet Exchange]] since 2019, was to become the new president and CEO of ICANN on December 5, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-10 |title=ICANN Selects Next President and CEO |url=https://www.icann.org/en/announcements/details/icann-selects-next-president-and-ceo-10-06-2024-en |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=ICANN}}</ref>